Amapiano (song)
| "Amapiano (Song)" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Asake and Olamide | |
| from the album Work of Art | |
| Language | English, Yoruba, Pidgin |
| Released | May 24, 2023 |
| Genre | Afrofusion |
| Length | 3:29 |
| Label | YBNL |
| Songwriter(s) | Asake Olamide |
| Producer(s) | Magicsticks |
"Amapiano" is a song by Nigerian musician Asake and Nigerian rapper Olamide. The song is a single from Asake's second studio album, Work of Art, and was produced by Nigerian producer Magicsticks. The music video, shot by Jyde Ajala, was released May 24, 2023.[1] The song was a surprise release and gained over 100,000 streams within less than 24 hours of its release and debuted at number one of the Spotify Top Songs Nigeria Daily Chart.[2] The song was nominated for Best African Music Performance at the 66th Grammy awards.[3] It was one of the most streamed songs of 2023 on Audiomack, garnering 87.7 million streams on the platform.[4] The 44th president of USA president Barack Obama listed the song in his favorite music of 2023, in his annual favorite music list.[5]
Background[edit]
The song pays homage to amapiano, the South African music genre of music that Asake has become well-known for.[6]
Composition[edit]
The song is described as "easy listen that evokes feelings of happiness and overall summer vibes".[7] Collins Badewa of Style Rave describes the song as "an infectious blend of energetic beats, vibrant melodies, and catchy hooks".[8] Additionally, it's noted for incorporating elements from hip-hop, amapiano, afrobeats, deep house, and a "neo-fuji" aesthetic, resulting in a distinctive rhythmic energy.[9][10] Douglas Markowitz of Grammy Awards wrote that while the song pays homage to the amapiano genre, it rearranges some elements such as the iconic log drum.[11] The lyrics are primarily in Yoruba language and pidgin and bits of English.[12]
Reception[edit]
Dennis Ade Peter of OkayAfrica wrote,
All the bells and whistles of an Asake song are present, a maximalist canvas that includes warm piano keys, gorgeously droning violin, interpolated organ notes, log drums that mimic the staggering groove of Omele drums, and a bevy of stacked vocals in call-and-response mode. If anyone needs the clearest vision of what 'piano-inflected neo-Fuji' is, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better one than "Amapiano".[13]
The Africa Report listed "Amapiano" as one of the top music hits of 2023.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ Adeayo, Adebiyi (23 May 2024). "Asake drops music video for new song 'Amapiano' feat Olamide". pulse.ng. Archived from the original on 4 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ Kanmodi, Funmilayo. "Asake and Olamide's 'Amapiano' Achieves Massive Debut, Dominating Charts in Less Than 24 Hours!". NOTJUSTOK. NOTJUSTOK. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Akintobi, Lamide (3 February 2024). "There's a new category for African musicians at the Grammys. Here's what you need to know about the nominees". CNN. Archived from the original on 4 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ Naomi, Utere. "Audiomack reveals 5 most streamed songs of 2023". NOTJUSTOK. NOTJUSTOK. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Olusola, Elijah. "Asake, Davido, Olamide, Tems make Obama's Favourite Music of 2023 list". Premium Times. Premium Times. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Aromolaran, Michael. "ASAKE TEASES SECOND ALBUM WITH OLAMIDE ASSISTED "AMAPIANO"". Culture Custodian. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ Yongo, Sughnen. "Asake and Olamide Team up for "Amapiano"". okayafrica. okayafrica. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Badewa, Collins. "Asake Heralds Sophomore Album With 'Amapiano' + More Trending New Afrobeats Songs". Style Rave. Style Rave. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Keith, James; COMPLEX UK. "Nigeria's Olamide And Asake Are In Celebration Mode In "New Religion" Video". COMPLEX UK. COMPLEX UK. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Grammys 2024: Asake & Olamide Flaunt Their Party-Starting Prowess With "Amapiano" - Okayplayer". www.okayafrica.com. Archived from the original on 2024-01-27. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ Markowitz, Douglas. "Here Are The Nominees For Best African Music Performance At The 2024 GRAMMYs". GRAMMY AWARDS. GRAMMY AWARDS. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ Itodo, Sunny Green. "66th Grammys: Davido, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Asake set to make history". Daily Post. Daily Post. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ Ade Peter, Dennis. "Grammys 2024: Asake & Olamide Flaunt Their Party-Starting Prowess With "Amapiano"". okayafrica. okayafrica. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ Ajayi, Dami; Ikwuagwu, Udochukwu. "From Afrobeat to Amapiano: Top music hits of 2023". the africa report. the Africa report. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.